It has identified 10 schools where the housing schemes might go ahead and has started talks with governors and head teachers.

Plans under discussion take in pockets of land at the Forest School in Winnersh, Hawkedon and Radstock primary schools in Lower Earley, Willow Bank infant and junior schools in Woodley, Colleton primary and Polehampton junior schools in Twyford, Hatch Ride primary in Crowthorne and Emmbrook School, Keep Hatch infants and juniors schools and St Crispin's.

The council will carry out further detailed investigations to make sure the land really is surplus and will not affect school team games.

The council is working on the

preliminary estimate that 100 homes could be built if all the sites are used.

If any schemes go ahead, the

council will be looking for bids from housing associations to build the houses.

A detailed report on each of the schools will be discussed at a future meeting of the executive.

Pauline Helliar-Symons, executive member for community services, said: "Housing for new teachers is desperately needed in this area and we should do all we can to support any scheme that helps the situation.

"It has been said before but we lose masses of well trained, experienced teachers after about two or three years.

"This is a way we can help them get started and keep their expertise in the area."

Keith Quine, headteacher at the Forest School in Robin Hood Lane, Winnersh, said: "I think that these proposals could be a significant step across the district in improving our ability to recruit and retain high calibre teachers."

Alex Biddle, head teacher at St Crispin's said: "We have had student teachers interested in taking up positions here who were put off by the high cost of housing.

"But the scheme must not take away valuable playing fields and must not compromise the safety of the students."

Cllr Tim Charlesworth, executive member for education, said: "We must bear in mind that for security reasons, where there are properties that can only be accessed through school grounds, it would need to be practical for anyone else other than teachers to live in those properties."